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Foster Wheeler safety initiative recognized by Rice Global Engineering & Construction Forum

HOUSTON – An initiative within Foster Wheeler USA Corporation to achieve a safety culture step-change by balancing observable and measurable safety tools with a personal commitment to safety was named recipient of the 2013 Award for Excellence by the Rice Global Engineering & Construction Forum (RGF). Mark Garvey, President of Foster Wheeler USA Corporation, accepted the award this evening on behalf of the company’s Realizing Zero initiative in a ceremony at the VIP Banquet opening the RGF’s 16th annual fall conference.

“Safety at the work site and in the office is a top priority for both owners and contractors,” said Chun Liang of Bechtel Corporation, who chairs the RGF Award for Excellence committee. “By trying to improve upon an already excellent safety record, the Realizing Zero initiative not only is transformative in nature for Foster Wheeler’s entire organization, it also sets a new, higher safety target for competitors.”

Since the inception of the Realizing Zero initiative in September 2011, Foster Wheeler has reduced its Total Recordable Incident Rate by greater than 50%.

“Foster Wheeler is proud to be recognized for the success of our Realizing Zero Program. In designing this program, our HSE leadership has created a culture in which everyone truly realizes that an injury incident is not a statistic, but rather a real person who was harmed due to a shortcoming within our organizational system, a system we all contribute to and are responsible for,” Garvey said. “At every level of our organization, it is Foster Wheeler’s commitment to make sure we do everything in our power to eliminate or avoid any situation that could put the safety of our employees, subcontractors, or clients at risk. Realizing Zero provides a world class process framework for delivering on this commitment.”

About the Award for Excellence:

• The Award for Excellence was established in 2011 by the Rice Global E&C Forum to acknowledge an individual, group or organization for a significant event or outstanding performance in an Engineering and Construction industry-related activity. The award is presented once a year at the RGF fall conference.
• Any E&C company may nominate a candidate for the award, but all nominations must be formally submitted by a sponsoring RGF board member using the official Nomination Form. Non-Forum companies must submit their nominations through an RGF board member.
• Categories for recognition include a notable business improvement or development, unique technical solution or innovation, project execution excellence, global growth, and young engineers programs. However, nominators may create new categories if they can provide compelling reasons.
• Members of the Award for Excellence committee evaluate nominees based upon key criteria, including: the contribution to sustaining or improving the E&C industry; for addressing an industry-wide issue or highly challenging problem; for receiving broad industry recognition for taking a major step forward; and for generating on-going social benefits in the community.

For more information about the Rice Global E&C Forum’s Award of Excellence, please go to: http://www.forum.rice.edu/topics/award-excellence/.

For more information about Foster Wheeler, please visit www.fwc.com or contact Patti Landsperger, Corporate Communications, (908) 713-2944.

About the Rice Global Engineering & Construction Forum: The Rice Global E&C Forum is a voluntary academic-industry organization dedicated to stimulating original thinking, discussion, and resolution of the major economic, political, strategic and technological challenges and opportunities faced by global engineering and construction companies.

For more information about the Rice Global Engineering & Construction Forum, please contact: Martin Van Sickels, RGF executive director, at 281-370-0374 or martinvs@sbcglobal.net; Tom Anderson, chair of RGF Board of Directors, 832-513-1968 or tanderson@cbi.com; or A. D. Koen, RGF media advisor, at 713-812-1623 or adkoen@comcast.net.

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